The Tories are repeatedly reminding voters of their achievements – finally

It’s no surprise that the Conservatives want to take the credit for the tax cuts in the Budget, or that the Lib Dems are rather peeved about this. The Chancellor will make a speech today in which he describes Britain as ‘starting to walk tall in the world’ and drive home what he sees as a series of key government achievements on ‘reshoring’ and the rise in the personal allowance of income tax, which comes into effect this week. Nick Clegg, meanwhile, is giving his monthly press conference where he will argue that the Conservatives are trying to ‘steal’ his own party’s prize ideas.

Those two men can tussle about in the Westminster bubble for credit (though to be fair to the Lib Dems, they do seem to be winning the battle). But what’s significant about this is that there does seem to have been a proper political follow-up operation to this Budget in which leading figures drive home key announcements and challenges to the opposition repeatedly in the weeks after the announcement. Tory backbenchers used to complain that their leaders were hopeless at following up a good announcement: it seems those leaders have now taken heed and are doing their best to get the news out there (which when most voters remembered ‘nothing’ from the Budget at all, is pretty important).

If only they knew how to do Modest and Humble sometimes.
No one likes a smug git.

HookesLaw

Most voters do not remember much about anything. This is well known from surveys.

Its probably the right time now, 15 months out from an election, to start taking about what you have done.

the viceroy’s gin

Actually, it’s only 13.25 months out from the election, laddie, and it doesn’t matter what you socialist Camerluvvies and your marketeering muppets are “taking about” (sic), because Dave’s head is going to get mounted on a spike regardless.

http://english-pensioner.blogspot.co.uk/ english_pensioner

Talk in the media today about a £10/month charge for belonging to the NHS, which followed recent suggestions of a sugar tax.
What the taxman giveth with one hand he takes back, plus interest, with the other!

HookesLaw

This is not the tax man, its a proposal from a labour spokesman

http://english-pensioner.blogspot.co.uk/ english_pensioner

OK, Just wait for Labour to get into power after the next election.

Mynydd

Not true the proposal was from the think-tank Reform.

JoeDM

The fundamental problem of immigration is getting worse.

Kitty MLB

Yes indeed they should, until now they would say about the electorate:
‘As files to wanton boys are we to th’ Gods they kill us for their sport’.
And that would include this Right Wing obscure person.
They have made many mistakes, Cameron is naïve, arrogant , and a fool
for trusting the Lib Dems – who rejoice in saying ‘ we stopped the Tories’-
the enemy within!!
Yet regardless of all the deceitful gerrymandering from Labour and our wretched
Leftie dominated media with their own agenda and babysitting the Lib Dems
who have had far too much say, we are eventually getting there.
This budget was a turning point, the chancellor has grown into his job and has
been proven right and Labour have nothing to offer, they are without sense or reason,
no more apologising for difficult choices ( he should have cut more, and quicker, but never mind) They also have the hard work from IDS and Michael Gove-
the two most difficult and important jobs in government.

Mynydd

Mr Cameron failed to win an overall majority at the last general election and didn’t have the bottle to form a minority government, therefore without the Lib Dems he would not be in power today.
With respect to ‘deceitful gerrymandering from Labour’ how come? Labour are the opposition with the constitutional right, and duty, to hold the government to account. With Conservative and Lib Dem MPs out numbering the opposition parties, it is not possible for Labour to stop any bill passing though parliament.
All Labour can do is articulate peoples concerns, as they did when they said that the energy market is broken, and what they would do about it.
The turning point in the budget was when the supermarkets move away from, but one get on free (BOGOF) to buy three hundred pints.and get one free (300PGOF) and of course there was plebs bingo.
Difficult choices have been kicked into the long grass, in 2010 it was, we will balance the books by2015, now it’s we will balance the books by 2020.

HookesLaw

Cameron won nearly 100 seats a modern record by some distance for a Conservative.
The euro crisis affected the economy and Osborne woisely did not try to bleed it dry to meet a target that was based on a world recovery.
How would a minority govt get its proposals thriough? You are an idiot, but in good company on these pages.

Mynydd

Which had the biggest effect on our economy, the world wide banking crisis, or the much local euro crisis?.

Frank

“starting to walk tall”…..? Ha ha ha ha, what guff and shameful guff at that.
We are up to our eyeballs in public and private debt, we do not have a genuine economic recovery, we can’t control our borders, we cannot extradite criminals, we do not control a significant proportion of our legislation, our MOD cannot buy anything without being raped by its contractors leaving us unable to fight our way out of a paper bag, our NHS system is deeply flawed and any rich foreign criminal can come here and buy property assets. Meanwhile, our deeply un-representative group of MPs fill their snouts at the expenses trough and bitch about their salaries.

Pitkapoika

Have you considered calling the Samaritans ?

Mynydd

Please stop writing such truths, you know it only upsets the Tories.

Bluesman_1

Ah yes – HMRC being able to pick the pocket of anyone they choose without recourse to due process. A truly brilliant achievement which should be shouted from the rooftops. All credit to HMG.

Roderick

Presumably the lawyers who profited from the various mis-selling scandals already have this in their sights.

HookesLaw

Ratbags who do not pay their taxes should be in jail.

the viceroy’s gin

Well, if we’re about the business of jailing ratbags, we should start with most all of your socialist LibLabCon buddies, shouldn’t we, lad?